SPANISH DANCER - Sydney Smith Poems

SPANISH DANCERAs on all its sides a kitchen-match darts whiteflickering tongues before it bursts into flame:with the audience around her, quickened, hot,her dance begins to flicker in the dark room.

And all at once it is completely fire.

One upward glance and she ignites her hairand, whirling faster and faster, fans her dressinto passionate flames, till it becomes a furnacefrom which, like startled rattlesnakes, the longnaked arms uncoil, aroused and clicking.

And then: as if the fire were too tightaround her body, she takes and flings it outhaughtily, with an imperious gesture,and watches: it lies raging on the floor,still blazing up, and the flames refuse to die -Till, moving with total confidence and a sweetexultant smile, she looks up finallyand stamps it out with powerful small feet.